‘Arrest Mamata, declare TMC a terror outfit’, demands BJP leader after CBI searches at premises of Sandeshkhali accused

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal leader of opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government after several arms and ammunition, including foreign-made revolvers, were recovered from suspended party leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s premises in Sandeshkhali, demanding that the ruling party be declared a ‘terrorist outfit’.

The Bengal Assembly leader of the Opposition further said that such weapons and explosives are being used in anti-national activities and the party supremo has lost the moral authority to continue as the CM of the state after fostering terrorists like Sheikh.

“All the weapons found in Sandeshkhali are foreign. Explosives like RDX are used in horrific anti-national activities. All these weapons are used by international terrorists. I demand to declare Trinamool Congress as a terrorist organisation… This state is a paradise. People who watched the trailer on the incident in Khadikul, Egra, today watched the movie amid the recovery of RDX and deadly weapons in Sandeshkhali. Mamata Banerjee is fully responsible for this incident. I demand to arrest Mamata Banerjee and declare Trinamool Congress as a terrorist organisation,” news agency ANI quoted Adhikari as saying.

What CBI found

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out searches at two premises of Sheikh Shahjahan, the main accused in the Sandeshkhali violence, in connection with a January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob allegedly instigated by the now suspended leader.

“The CBI seized three foreign-made revolvers, one foreign-made pistol, one Indian revolver, one Colt official issue police revolver, one country-made pistol, 120 nine mm bullets, 50 cartridges of .45 calibre, 50 cartridges of .380, and eight cartridges of .32,” read a statement from the central agency.

TMC’s reaction:

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, however, cast aspersions on the CBI finding. Before the CBI declared the possession, he had claimed that it might be a conspiracy of the opposition to plant some ammunition in the premises.

“Till now, we have not seen any arms…CBI has not briefed anything officially…It is possible that our rivals or some political parties have planted arms..,” he said, hours before the official CBI statement.

“There are attempts from Delhi to influence voting and keep the Sandeshkhali pot boiling. Dramas are being staged. The police should be alert,” he said in a post on X while taking a dig at the Centre’s ruling BJP without naming it.

Sandeshkhali row:

Sandeshkhali witnessed massive unrest earlier this year after women villagers accused Shahjahan and his aides of sexual harassment and land grabbing. After being suspended by the TMC for a period of six years, Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on February 29.

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